Researchers from Health Affairs examined data from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, as well as data from World Health Organization’s “Safe Surgery Saves Lives” campaign to estimate the cost of implementing the WHO’s surgical safety checklist. The implementation cost is estimated to be $12,635.

The authors conclude that if at least five major complications are prevented within the first year of using the checklist, a hospital will see a return on its investment. It is estimated that the checklist can reduce surgical errors by up to ten percent.